No, i don`t double buzz on my pedal tones-- im talking two seperate problems heh.

I`ve been playing about since July after my friend kept a Bass Trombone(on the bell it says Eterna by Getzen), and a tuba at my house because his apartment is on the 3rd story. Anyways, there is one main problem that drives me crazy.

I have this terrible double buzz from Bb right above the staff to the F# on the staff. When I play these notes, I get that note, and 1 octave lower. It`s pretty annoying. I have no problem at all double buzzing on any note nor any other ocatave. Just those 5 notes.

All I can say is that I`ve boiled it down to my upperlip as being the culprit-- it has a tendancy to vibrate whatever octave it feels.
Any advice on this problem?

Another issue i`m having is just articulating these damge pedal tones heh. I`m learning some etude (it was like.. texas HS region or state music in `98) that plays at about 130bpm, and the triplets are rather difficult.
Are there any good excersizes I should be doing? And is it ever acceptable to puff your cheecks when playing low notes(if so, which)?

Thanks guys
-daniel

You might want to try reversing your emboshure. If you find you dont have a lot of top lip control try placing the mouthpiece so that it rests low on your top lip and let the bottom do the work. I forget what this style of emboshure is called but it may help you. most players do the opposite. ancor on the bottom and let the top flap away but there have been a few good players with the reverse emboshure thing.

just a thaught.

I had that problem show up once as well. Here is how I killed it: Work with just the mouthpiece. Buzz that tone, bending back and forth, until you get it right in tune. Then put the piece back in. It usually is just an embouchore problem. Your just not set quite right for the note itself, so you get that "double-buzz" thing. It happens in that register because for a lot of people that is a breaking point between the low and mid range of the instrument.

As for the pedals, just keep workin on them. They are hard to articulate for everyone. Encorporate them into your warm up, lot`s of pedal long tones, and then short pedals, all the way down as far as you can go. Play single short notes, repeated short notes, and scales all in the pedal register. This will deffinately help with the ease of popping them out, and should help with articulation as well.

Another suggestion to add onto the previous two is: listen. Stop thinking about what you are doing and worry about what soudn is coming out. If you spend too much time thinking about embochure after youve done all your warm-up then your just going to be spinning your wheels. Make sure you keep up the normal warm-up and maintenance which should normalize your sound.

as to bass trombone playing. Practice a lot. Your going to have to hours upon hours of doing long tones on pedal tones to stop things like shifting and puffing cheeks. All this stuff will help center your tone and make the pedal tones easier. but dont expect to read this understand and it happens next week. Spend the next month on it then slowly build the speed and center of tone needed for the fast technical passages that are required on bass trombone.

ERIK an d MAS Rock that is all.